Actually yes, we have faced ourselves that children carry loads of books even which weighs double the weight of the child. Schools and teachers can take a step to leave the daily used subject books at school in a locker which is allotted to individual student or as a common locker for each class, so that only those books which is supposed to be used for homeworks and tests can be taken back home , which can reduce the burden of children.

Books, craft work, sports accessories all add to the burden that a child carries everyday. As Tripura said having lockers in schools can be a good alternative to this problem.

Hehehehe!, sharmila, even I am a victim of spelling mistakes...acutally its high time people overlooked spelling and grammatical mistakes and concentrated on the idea conveyed.


But I think even with a bach ache you are not wrong.. what with all those boring western classical music lessons in some schools? :)

Believe me sharmila, online education is going to give you a bum ache along with backache and a tummy bulge also. We will be reduced to mute sitting status.

Then I’m sure you will have to append your article with bumaches and tummy bulges too! :):)

Yes, a lot of new age schools and a few traditional schools now days encourage the children to leave their books at school, and not lug all of them back home everyday. NPS Bangalore, I know is one of them...atleast for the junior classes.

Not all public schools are thinking of reducing loads. Instead of notebooks they should have worksheets. And lockers for textbooks and sports items is a good idea but where is the space? Public schools have large number of students...

If you read the full article, you will realize that heavy school bags are not the ONLY reason for the backaches.

From the stats given in the DNA story, anyone can make out that the children who suffer most are the ones coming from affluent homes... and the ones to suffer least are from poor families.

Here are the stats for those who don’t read the whole story before jotting down their comments:

55 percent students studying in public schools suffered from backache, while 30 percent students of government and municipal schools fell prey to the problem — government & public schools = poor children!

53 percent of students belonging to upper classes had acute backache problem — self-explanatory!

Fifteen percent of students belonging to the middle class and 10 percent of students belonging to weaker sections of the society suffered from backache — shows the clear picture!

22 percent students, who never went to school, did not complain of backache — poor children, can’t afford to go to schools!

Fifteen percent students who participated in outdoor games, along with hectic study schedule, faced no problem of backache — only exception to my theory, but then, I’ve not seen children from the rich families coming often on the streets from their luxurious bedrooms to do some hard playing!

So, its not the weight of the bag, but the lack of physical inactivity that contributes to backaches, or any ache for that matter...including bumaches and tummy bulges!!

Update: The highlighted phrase in the last para of my previous comment should read ’lack of physical activity’ and not ’lack of physical inactivity’ as mentioned by me.

Anyway, I’m happy no one noticed it and I got the opportunity to update that part :D

Of course sharmila, not you (who sits for so less a time at the PC) and not I (a yoga freak) are ever going to be affected by any aches…but I think those scholars who take the ache to provide huge statistics to prove something very obvious( that indeed it is physical inactivity that causes pains ) and take double the ache to come back and rectify an obviously correctly understood error are the ones who are going to experience the kind of aches mentioned by you and appended by me.

It seems our schools are preparing our children either for the army or for doing menial jobs!

On a serious note, it is high time the educational system in the country was thoroughly revamped. The accent now is on learning by rote; this is the reason for the piles of books and notebooks that the poor kids have to lug around.

The need of the hour is making children enjoy learning. Informal and imaginative techniques of teaching are needed. The ’memorizing’ way of education is a legacy of the colonial past.

Taylor has raised a relevant point. Having lockers in Indian schools could be part of the solution.

As things stand today, very few schools have lockers and so the kids have to lug all the books and stuff around like coolies. Are the managements of our schools listening? Lockers please!

Taylor has raised a relevant point. Having lockers in Indian schools could be part of the solution.

As things stand today, very few schools have lockers and so the kids have to lug all the books and stuff around like coolies. Are the managements of our schools listening? Lockers please!

You pointing to the DNA staff??

By the way, there’s the ’read story’ button just below the trailer shown by Sharmila, and that shows the full picture.

And does yoga help only physically?? I mean your comment doesn’t show any sense. However, I might be wrong because I’ve seen many yoga freaks who are intelligent too!!

I guess both of them involves hard work. One is at school, the other is at a hotel or local tea shop. God sometimes is a great equalizer!

No, I was not pointing to the DNA staff. I was rather pointing towards those scholars who spend hours at the PC in their pursuit for perfection.

What I meant was when laymen like me read something we just scan it and comment. That takes a little time. Now there are people who read each and every line in detail, reproduce them, comment on them individually and yet again come back to correct a minuscule error that is generally understood the correct way. Such a lot of effort (what I meant by ache) leading to spending such a lot of time sitting physically inactively in front of the PC and ultimately leading to all the physical pains and tummy bulges originating from physical inactivity!

When this article is all about the physical pains originating from physical causes I am of course talking about the physical effectiveness of yoga though there is much more to it. Now does that make any sense?


I would like to append that apart from the degree of physical inactivity there is another reason that makes poor children less susceptible to body aches than affluent children and that is poor children are probably used to carrying heavy loads in their daily lives and hence a school bag is no big deal for them whereas their delicate counterparts find a school bag very heavy.

Great Leena!

Finally, you accepted that you all went for the wrong ride and I’m happy that you agree with me that physical inactivity is the main cause for all types of aches, and not heavy bags!

(whats already implied in my very first comment comes as an appendage from your side!!)

BTW, my profile demands me to stay long on my PC so that I can push some sense into those senseless heads which come banging on my doors daily.

Unfortunately, some heads are too thick to grasp my advice and hence, all the commotion.

Anyway, theres always yoga for such people! Though at a slow pace, I’m sure it will work for you.

I don’t think you’ve understood what I appended and since its already there I don’t feel the necessity to repeat it over and over again and since your entire comment is based on that it does make not any sense…even if you come up with a thousand such in future.

However let me clarify that many a time mere textual delivery has limitations in conveying the tone in which something is said and what I said was in a light-hearted manner, something that I always do. I don’t know much of internet lingo to convey the tone. In case, you’ve taken offence to anything that I said I am extremely sorry.

I agree with you. Having lockers at schools can be a solution. I guess Indian schools have not introduced lockers as that would cost money! I think if the school managements do not agree, the government should legislate and force them to do so.

I guess after that the schools will comply, but will charge the parents for the lockers too!

Another moot point here about the ’locker’ solution is one doubts if very small kids will be able to handle lockers. The system will only work with the higher class students.

Oops! We are not fighting, are we? I take this type of confrontations as an opportunity to better my debating skills and know my standing among the fellow debaters, so practically, there is no question of me feeling offended by any word or phrase.

I expected some more fireworks from you, sorry is the least expected and liked word in my dictionary. If you take a look at my profile you will know my views on these episodes.

As for your appendage, I’m happy people use my original statements to use it as a base to fill their comment boxes; its a great compliment. I thank you wholeheartedly.

@ editor aneez

You expected to see just fireworks? You would have seen missiles! Its only that I felt that you thought that I was pointing at your work, something that people might be sensitive about, and hence felt the need to apologize.

As for the appendage I was not using your statement but your statement box as a base. ..just because I was lazy to open a fresh box. Mine was an independent statement. Talking about originality you just deduced from the facts already present in the article but I gave a completely new point. So it is I who am actually original.

For that matter coming to the subject if you go to the next page, you will come across a conclusive statement

According to Jha, a large number of children suffering from backache belong to public schools because apart from carrying heavy school bags, they had to sit at home for long hours each day to complete their daily lessons and to prepare for surprise tests, the report said
Children of government and other schools had comparatively lighter schoolbags and also had lower pressure of studies, it said.’
That actually takes the heaviness of the bag into consideration. And though physical inactivity may be one of the reasons it’s actually the bag load and later the body load that the poor spine has to take by sitting for long hours. So it has got more to do with load than the physical activity factor.

Thank you for being so original Leena, I never expected this from you. By the way if you want to get a glimpse of what originality is all about, just go to my first comment and check.

After each of the points that I presented (which according to you is rehashed from the news article), I have given my views. This is what we call being original without swaying away from the facts.

As for the revelation presented by you in your latest comment (According to Jha, a large number of children suffering.., I would suggest you take a closer look into the article and compare it to what I said in my first comment.

As for this gem of yours’

So it has got more to do with load than the physical activity factor.

I doubt you are a yoga freak, cuz these words portray you as one who is totally ignorant about the physics of a human body.

P.S. I’m a fitness freak myself and spend 1 1/2 hrs daily in the gym dealing with weights and stuffs, so don’t come up with anything that will strengthen my belief that you are a total disaster in the body management area.

Public schools or government, physical activities or not, lockers or large school bags,
How did you all forget the Wretched water bottle that adds to the load. Cant schools provide clean drinking water?

It is a question of luck. Some kids are fortunate enough to get good education. Others learn the tricks of life the hard way in a tea stall.

Who said life is fair? I said God sometimes is a great equalizer. Anyway, how can one be sure that a kid studying at a public school is happier than a tea boy? I know a tea boy at the nearby tea stall, who is always happy. And believe me he is not a simpleton.

I also read of kids who committed suicide because of pressure from parents to do well at school.

Who is more fortunate?

@editor aneez

You are boasting so much about your first comment but let me tell you all you did was to get away with some vague remarks like ‘ poor children’ , ‘ self explanatory’, ‘shows the clear picture’ . :- D (thanks for giving me the opportunity for using a newly learned smiley).

Coming to back ache let me tell you, other than some medical conditions the general and major causes are :

Faulty posture, sitting without a proper support for your back, carrying and handling heavy loads in the wrong way and also for a prolonged period of time. All of which amount to one singular factor and that is straining the spinal cord.

Now for the case under discussion, according to Mr. Jha statement, there are two factors one is heavy bag, another is prolonged sitting.

Heavy bag factor is explained by the heavy load causal factor. But heavy bag also has an effect only when it is carried for a long time resulting in greater spinal stress.

Back pain due to prolonged sitting has two causes, poor posture, insufficient back support and of course your physical inactivity factor. Now how does physical inactivity cause back ache? You put on weight which increases the load on the spine resulting in greater spinal stress. So your superficial reasoning has got a deeper root in my reasoning. So ultimately back ache is a consequence of a stressed out spine owing to heavy load being carried for a prolonged duration of time (the gem that you discovered)

Now where does yoga help me? It helps me in preventing and controlling any symptoms present. It strengths my back muscles and pranayama helps in supplying energizing oxygen to my spine.

Now in a gym you are lifting the weights in a health- wise methodical manner and that too for short periods of time in one go. The duration depends on your practice. Just try holding a heavy weight at least 10 minutes more than you usually do and then let me know.

People who know only physics need to learn from those who know the anatomy and physiology of the human body to connect concepts! Your statements don’t invoke a belief but rather a confirmation that infact its you who are a disaster in body management.

that’s a nice point water bottles really add to the weight

school bags with wheels like luggage bags can be a good idea

Ohh! Thanks a lot for your enlightening lecture. Now, would you please enlighten me a bit more?

Whats the difference between Physics and Physiology of a human body??

I’m not too keen to ask you about Anatomy cuz thats a deeper thing, so please leave it to the expert. I don’t want you to come up with stupid explanation for that term.

So, right now, I’ll be contented enough to learn the difference between Physics and Physiology of a human body.

Now, coming back to your statement,

Just try holding a heavy weight at least 10 minutes more than you usually do and then let me know.

I believe you are talking about Isometric exercises (grasp the term if you don’t already know it, and thank me for giving it to you).

Thats a part and parcel of my workout regime lady, so don’t me to turn blank on this semi-ignorant question that you posed( now I’m really laughing Leena).

When I talk about body management, I take into account all the factors, including the various form of exercise, proper breathing, proper diet and the right body postures. And NOT give vague generalizations like you do.

And yeah, I’m waiting for that Physics and Physiology thing. Come on fast.

And now since you are defeated you have diverted from the topic and are now holding on to some terminology to save face!

Its rather a pity that you always brandish a concept triumphantly like a trophy and it turns out to be a subset of my concept! Now it is physiology and physics of the human body. The physics that deals with body mechanics is a subset of physiology that deals with the biochemical aspects as well.

And I am not interested in teaching anatomy to people who don’t know elementary biology. Its good that they have recognized their limitations before asking me.

Anyway sorry for the delay. I was out on some work. Lest you take opportunity of my delay and concoct some as-usual stupid judgments about me!

Come on Leena, I have not seen a better combination of stupidity and selfishness like you. You are a living example of the old saying,

If wishes were horses....

I took so much pain in adding to your knowledge base, and when I asked something from you, you rolled again some confusing mumblings (which I’m afraid no one can understand) and tried to portray yourself as an intelligent person (Aah, the term intelligent looks so odd on you).

Alas! I wish yoga had the powers to give foolish people at least that much of brains so that we common people would have some respite from their stupid talks.

Anyway, if you are so hellbent to witness my defeated, I’m ready to make you happy...but... that would mean I’ll have to leave you as you are.... ignorant and confused.

Its your choice, feel happy or be enlightened!

@editor aneez

It is the nature of the common man to find the sayings of the intellectually gifted as ‘confusing mumblings’. Otherwise why do you think the world is still trying to understand Einstein and Freud? Time and again these intellectuals have been ridiculed, despised and debated and all the time they have struggled –not to prove their intelligence but with the noble mission of enlightening their less gifted brethren…and so I take upon me the task of enlightening you. Tell me the points that you did not understand and I’ll clarify.

oh come on taylor...i might be the dumbest person around but do u think i am all that dumb to compare myself with eienstien and freud? :):D ... I was just trying to joke around with a few snobs who think they are very intelligent :)

@ Leena

I bow before your intelligence (to spare me!!). If you are the epitome of an intelligent person, I’m better off being a dumb person.

Or I think I should dig the dead grave of Einstein and learn something from him, so that I can understand your ’intelligent’ mumblings.

You can celebrate and rejoice..and be prepared too, because after this revelation (that you are at par with Einstein or Freud) you can look forward to more person coming on your way to ridicule you. Taylor is the beginning.

I just can’t understand why people go so overboard in declaring their supremacy that their quasi-sane egos have no option but to spill their idiotic reality on the podium.

Good luck to you!

I again repeat, if intelligent = YOU then I am better off being dumb.

I know your mettle (read: your lame reasoning power), so you can take this as a compliment.

P.S. Please excuse me for giving this reply in a fresh comment box... I’m afraid if I share the comment box with you, I might get infected by your intelligence!

This backache argument has now turned into a headache.. so let’s spare each other and concentrate on school bags?
:-D

@editor aneez

thank you very much for your compliments. But if you would have bothered to read my reply to Taylor you would have known what I really meant.And even after reading it if you have reacted this way then I’m not at fault.

In any case I don’t even find the necessity to react further to whatever you have said. Please yourself the way you want to.

I wonder if after all this hullabaloo in the media (and the long debate on Instablogs) about the heavy school bags, will anything change.

Doctors say that the bag should not weigh more than a certain percentage of the kid’s body-weight, but do the schools care? The parents will have to take up the matter at the PTA meetings and demand a solution from the school authorities. Otherwise the matter will die down (as it usually does).

The poor kids will continue having backaches (or worse) and the mothers will either carry the bag till the bus stand or apply Iodex on the kids back. Imagine a kid of five needing back pain balms!

Dear Sharmila ,

It appears that our children are trying to be at par with a dhobi’s donkey . Our school going kids should be little more relaxed than being trapped in mindless cramming of useless things .

Yours,
Arvind K.Pandey

I agree with the point that our kids need to feel relaxed and they should be taught in ways that make the subject a pleasure rather than mindless drudgery.

But the fault lies in the educational system. It is a legacy of our colonial past. Mugging up is rewarded and original thinking discouraged.

I think the central educational authorities have understood this and are trying to come up with a new syllabi.